2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins Obverse Design

The United States Mint has revealed the obverse design selection for the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins. The unveiling had initially been scheduled to take place on October 8, but was postponed due to the government shutdown. Although the shutdown continues, the design selection was posted without a ceremony or press release on the US Mint’s website.

obverse

The obverse design shown above was selected by the Treasury Department following a public competition which had generated 178 design submissions and 26 semi-finalist designs. These semi-finalists were evaluated by a panel of Baseball Hall of Fame judges, which had narrowed the field to 16 finalist designs. The finalists were reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts, Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The CFA and CCAC had both recommended the design shown above featuring a depiction of a 1960’s style baseball glove. With both groups in agreement, it became likely that the Treasury Department would follow suit. The final design shown above does have some slight alteration from the original design submission. A foliage pattern which appeared at the edge of the glove has been removed.

The winning design was submitted by Cassie McFarland of San Luis Obispo, California, who will have her initials appear on the coin and receive a prize of $5,000.00.

reverse

The reverse design of the coin, which was previously announced features a depiction of a baseball similar to those used in Major League Baseball. This was designed and sculpted by Don Everhart.

The obverse and reverse designs will be used in common across the $5 gold coin, silver dollar, and clad half dollars included in the commemorative coin program. All of the coins will be “curved” so that the obverse is concave and the reverse is convex. These will be the first curved coins ever produced by the United States Mint.

Under the authorizing legislation, maximum mintages are established at 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 silver dollars, and 750,000 half dollars. The National Baseball Hall of Fame will receive surcharges of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver dollar, and $5 per half dollar, which will be used to help fund operations. The coins will go on sale in early 2014.

Lower Gold Numismatic Product Prices Possible

Based on the available data, it is possible that the prices for the United States Mint’s numismatic gold products may be reduced tomorrow. Prices for these products are adjusted as frequently as weekly based on changes in the market prices of precious metals.

The weekly average price of gold from the prior Thursday AM to the current Wednesday AM is likely to fall within the $1,250 to $1,299.99 range. Since this is one tier lower than the range used to establish current prices, it creates the possibility of a price reduction.

As a secondary criteria, the Wednesday London PM Fix price of gold must agree directionally with the change in order for the price reduction to take place. This means that the pricing action will be largely dependent on tomorrow’s London PM Fix price. If it comes in below $1,300, then a price reduction will take place. If it comes in at $1,300 or higher, then there would be no change.

Pricing adjustments have typically been implemented mid-morning on Wednesday after the London PM Fix price is known.

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Comments

  1. Smiledon says

    If I did not have such strong convictions about paying to house some millionaire’s uniform, I would get this set. The photo’s really look nice.

  2. Frankie says

    I hate to spoil the party, but according to this…
    “Under the authorizing legislation, maximum mintages are established at 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 silver dollars, and 750,000 half dollars. The National Baseball Hall of Fame will receive surcharges of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver dollar, and $5 per half dollar, which will be used to help fund operations.”
    …the The National Baseball Hall of Fame will receive a total of US$9.5M in ‘donations’ from primarily numismatists, providing a complete sell-out.

    Will there be some reciprocal donation from those organizations/associations etc. numismatists have sponsored in the past back to numismatists to support our hobby? I doubt it…

    By the way, I do like the design and can’t wait to see it in person!

  3. Brian says

    I would like to see a 6 coin set.

    I drool when I come across the old 16 coin set and 32 coin set auctions from 1996 olympic commemoratives. A 6 coin set would also help stop the trend of declining mintages of uncirculated commemoratives.

  4. dan says

    I agree with everything said about the surcharges however I love the coins and will be one of the first to order. What will be interesting though, will be with the clad coin production. With all the problems they have with the first spouse coins during minting, I cant wait to hear of the problems on the clad coin, dont know if any clads have been done this way before. I would also like to see some type of multi coin offering, could be a real home run ( no pun intended). This coin has the potential for being a sell out if marketed right

  5. Taribor says

    I buy coins because I like the coin and not because of where the surcharge goes, or where I think the price of metals will go; I will definitely buy at least two of each of this set.

  6. Matt says

    I’m in for one set and maybe a second silver dollar one too if the wife doesn’t catch me…

  7. Dan says

    I bought a couple of the Southern Crux coins from the RAM last year and they came in curved airtites that fit them perfectly, so the US Mint should be able to do the same. I think these coins are going to look amazing in hand, the Crux coins kind of have a boring design with washed out colors, but the concave shape should really come alive for this coin due to the perfect objects, ball and glove!

  8. thePhelps says

    I’ll buy a set – off a reseller and let them pay the surcharge – that’s my take on the surcharge fees. I’ll probably get them cheaper than the mint price anyway.

    @Matt – I would imagine they will have to.

  9. Dustyroads says

    I don’t see any reason why this coin would not be a nice coin to buy from the Mint. If it sells in higher numbers, so what, it has a lot of appeal as gift coin, or just simply one to own. The uniqueness of this coin gets my heart thumping!

  10. Jeff says

    DR You probably don’t think paying $300 for a family of four to go watch a baseball game is that bad a deal either… Ha

  11. hawkster says

    thePhelps:

    Don’t fool yourself–you’re still paying a surcharge if you buy it from a reseller. The reseller is merely the middleman.
    In essence, buyers of the HOF coins are being forced to make a donation to the Hall, which is a private enterprise. This just doesn’t sit too well with many of us.
    But, forced donation not withstanding, this is a cool looking coin. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

  12. Jerry Diekmann says

    Nice designs. I’ll probably buy a couple of the proof and uncirc silver dollars and clad half dollars, but I’ll skip on the gold, unless gold drops below $1,000.00, which I don’t thinlk is going to happen. Maybe some day, but probably not 2014. But the way the government is going now, maybe there won’t be any coins in 2014.at all. Helluva way to run (ruin) a country.

  13. DCDave says

    Welcome to the Royal Canadian Mint.
    Sorry, the circus coinage doesn’t do it for me.
    Pass…

  14. someone says

    DCDave,

    Circus coinage, seriously? The Presidential $1 coin series fits that bill more accurately I’d imagine,

  15. VABEACHBUM says

    As a “first of” product from the US Mint, I’ll definitely be preparing to add one of each to my collection.

    WRT unique packaging for a 3-coin set, I was thinking a wooden case in the shape of a baseball bat. 6-8 inches in length, placing the Silver Dollar coin at the large diameter end, then the clad, then the Gold $5 coin according to the decreasing diameters of the coin and the bat. At least it follows the theme.

  16. VABEACHBUM says

    @ Dan – several weeks ago, there was an article at Coinworld, Numismaster, or a similar publisher, that discussed some test strikes for these coins on the clad blanks. I’m still looking for that link. Apparently, the metalurgy of the 3-layer clad is such that the layers are the result of a high temperature / high pressure pressing, but are not physically / chemically bonded. As a result, these test strikes were showing indications of the clad layers separating and pulling away along the circumferencial edge.

    The two domed coins from the RAM were struck in .999 silver bullion, and even though the other baseball coins will be struck into 22 carat Gold and 90% Silver, those metal blanks are based on a homogeneous metal mixture. I would not be surprised to see some production / delivery delays associated with these clad, domed coins.

  17. says

    @VABEACHBUM, I read that article too about the clad coins separating. At first they said minting them was possible but after minting test trials the metals did separate and I have NOT heard or read anything more on them. I am in for a set of three if that is possible, gold, silver and clad.

    As to the surcharges there have been many in the past! It comes with the price of the coin as you order it from the Mint so on the secondary level, the surcharge price is included there as well.

  18. charles says

    The gold coin is 90% gold, or 21.6 carat, The only 22k gold coins the Mint produces are gold eagles.

  19. thePhelps says

    @hawkster – I know fully well that the surcharge will still be paid. I also know that if I don’t buy from the mint it will be 1 less surcharge being paid. The reseller is going to buy the coin anyway and it won’t be me paying the surcharge on an extra coin.

    If they had done something with this surcharge that wasn’t going to the HOF which should be funded by baseball and the millionaires and billionaires. Maybe even a scholarship fund for little league ball players would have been an honest venture to put the surcharge on…

  20. Larry says

    The 3D view on the mints website of this coin is pretty cool! I will definitely be in for a set.

  21. Jus-a-coin-luvr says

    Oh yeah, I’ll be “in” for (2) sets as well.

    I saw the note about a possible price decrease in Mint Gold products. With what is happening with the US credit default, possible credit downgrade, etc, it will be interesting to watch what happens with Gold prices.

    I don’t wish anything bad for our country and really hate that our financial success is so controlled/affected by politicians. Since our government can’t stop spending more that they take-in, I would have expected a credit downgrade of the US before this Oct 17th debacle. Interesting and also concerning times to be watching what happens.

  22. VABEACHBUM says

    @ Michael – You are the best!! Thanks for making that link to the article available. I had not heard that the Mint decided upon a course of action to resolve that manufacturing problem, though. I appreciate that additional information. I wonder how much the arc was reduced, and whether or not it will detract from the effect intended for this presentation.

  23. dan says

    Vabeachbum and Michael

    Thanks for the update in regard to the issue with the curvature of the clad coin. It is nice to see the mint proactive and resolving the problem without it dragging into the middle or end of the year of the offering.

  24. fmtransmitter says

    IMO these will be well received for collectors. Curved coins are the latest craze in numismatics and this being a first for the US Mint will make it a popular choice along with the subject matter of our Nation’s pastime…Evident by the projected mintage limits..Will not be a scarce coin for sure…May look for a graded proof example in a slab later on budget permitting…Speaking of budget, are we going to default?

  25. stephen m says

    very unique design for a curved coin. Will they be available in proof and mint state for the gold, silver and clad?

  26. hawkster says

    thePhelps,

    I do agree with you in that the Hall of Fame should step up to the plate (pun intended) and designate a significant portion of the surcharge they will receive to a youth baseball or softball program. Let’s see if they make the right choice and give something back to the community. Everything, all of the historic baseball items, etc. was acquired by the Hall through donations. Now it’s the Hall’s turn to reciprocate and help out to a needy youth organization. Come on, Hall of Fame– do the right thing.

  27. hawkster says

    Fritz,

    Yes, the winning design for the HOF coin reverse does bear a vague similarity to the former Milwaukee Brewers logo. But, the winning designer hails from California, so was probably not influenced by, or had any knowledge of the past Brewers logo. Coincidence? Most likely.

  28. Dustyroads says

    After looking at both sides of this coin a few times I get the feeling that I wish the coin had some detail around the edge rather than the plain edge. That’s one of the things I miss about older coinage, and maybe what I think looks nice about some of the new ATB’s.

  29. Dustyroads says

    I know, the ATB’s have a clean edge, that’s not a good example. Older coinage many times integrated a little more beauty around edges than coins do today.

  30. Wes says

    They should do what they did for the 9-11 medals. Release them for a limited time at a discounted price and include something from the HoF.A limited edition baseball card would make a nice addition and produce a nice crossover collectable.

  31. hawkster says

    Wes,

    The baseball card market collapsed years ago, due to oversaturation of the products and confusing marketing ploys by the manufacturers. I don’t think many of us want to see a “limited edition” baseball card included with, and linked to the HOF coin(s). Keep whatever remains of the card collecting hobby separate.
    Besides, I don’t think the HOF is inclined to add any bonus items to the HOF coins, other than a coupon for a reduced admission charge–which, of course, would be self-serving for the Hall.

  32. Dan in Fla says

    I’m in for a set of these coins if for nothing else than a unique item from the U S Mint. First tries are always a good bet.

  33. Wes says

    Hawkster , Maybe but I could the same thing has happened to coins although to a lesser extent. Look at the 1999 proof set. Millions produced and who is buying them now? Also baseball card collecting took a big hit when TPG services took over the hobby. Hmm sounds familiar.

  34. hawkster says

    Wes,

    Opportunists, namely TPG grading companies, are the bane of the hobby. They saw an opening and pounced. The TPG’s have also used confusing marketing ploys, with the notable help of the TV coin shows, in an attempt to give everyone the mindset that all modern Mint issued coins need to be graded. These grading services are continually trying to outdo one another to gain customers–and will do whatever it takes.
    Eventually the TPG services will collapse under the weight of their own greed.

  35. stephen m says

    hawkster, i would have to agree with you on the TPG’s. It seems that they are making the money on grading everything and anything they can with as many different labels as they can so they and the TV shows can make all the loot they can. They also know that the good thing they have going can’t last forever. Still i think TPG’s have a place in the hobby.

  36. Smiledon says

    @ Wes & hawkset
    The 9/11 medal coin that came out with that paper was a waste of time and paper. For that matter, the medal was a waste of time. 3.5K died that day, and that was the best we could do, oh well.
    As far as grading coins goes, if some one is not sure about a coin, have it checked out. As far as buying a graded coin from the US mint, all I can say is where do I sign up to re-sell something for a profit!
    Lest we forget what B.T. Barium said about money and fools?

  37. JagNut says

    Hawkster – A few years back the mint produced the Jackie Robinson Legacy Set which inlcuded both a coin and a limited edition card. The last I checked, it is still selling fairly well..

    It would not surprise me at all if someone comes out with a special limtied set that marries the two up. I’m sure there will be more than one unique set being hawked next year that will include the baseball commemorative.

  38. Brad says

    Gold is shooting back up this morning, possibly making the price decrease short-lived. It’s possible the best coin this year may end up being the relatively quiet 2013 AGE W 1 oz. coin. It could earn the lowest-mintage crown for the series if the Mint declares it “sold out” with around 6,000 sold. I’d wager that no more of them will be struck when the current supply is gone, so it likely all depends on how many are left right now. Sales may be up this week if the spot price doesn’t pull back (due to the perceived bargain price), so maybe we’ll have the answer before too long. Be on the lookout for that backorder notice.

    I know that the mintage has been getting smaller each year, but it does have to bottom-out at some point.

  39. hawkster says

    JagNut,

    Am I missing something? Isn’t the HOF the baseball commemorative? Can it not stand alone?

  40. Dustyroads says

    Brad~I enjoy reading your comments, it’s clear that you are knowledgeable and intelligent, but I’m wondering about your intuition. Is it not clear to you by now that the US Mint is running the minting presses into overtime? I know it’s worth looking for a sell out, but every indication we have up to now is that the Mint is producing more of everything this year. With the holiday season coming up, you can bet on the Mint looking for higher sales, I doubt they would pass on doing what they were hired to do..make a lot of money.

  41. KEITHSTER says

    Yep hope he’s off by a couple of hundred because I have the 12 but with the FS’s every week or two it going to be a mess. So hope they already made them or reserved pressroom time. All looks tight to the end of the year! Good luck to us all:>

  42. Brad says

    Dusty,

    Yeah, I could be wrong. It’s just a feeling, based on what happened with the 2012 coin. It sold out in early November, despite there being ample time to strike more of them. Sales have been sluggish for the 2013, and I have a feeling the Mint won’t bother to make any more at this point in the year.

    I had thought about this situation earlier, but didn’t have as much faith in it until the White Mountain 5 oz. coin was declared “sold out.” Even though it doesn’t seem like it based on some past products, I really believe the Mint doesn’t like having to keep prior year products available for too long. I do seem to remember the 2013 AGE W Unc was briefly on backorder a couple months back, so it’s already on the second batch. I doubt there will be a third one. Whether or not it comes in lower than the 2012 will all hinge on how big the second batch of coins was. It may have been smaller than the second batch of 2012’s due to more competing products in 2013 like the Reverse Proof Buffalo. 6,118 will be a tough number to beat, but the 2013 could end up at 5,9XX.

    The Mint obviously overproduced the 2012 First Spouses, since it appears that all of the remaining coins will reach their respective one-year sales anniversaries at pretty paltry levels. They may have to be put out of their misery as part of a December “last chance” sale. While that’s bad for those, it could bode very well for the 2013’s. Sluggish sales of the 2012’s, coupled with five designs for 2013 instead of the usual four could result in some very low mintages for those coins. We may finally see some come in under the 2,000 mark.

  43. GMS says

    Looks like we finally have some dates for a few of the FS Gold but still nothing on the Dollar Coin and Medal Sets

  44. simon says

    GMS : OT – FYI – The RP Buffalo ship date has moved to 11-1 for the last day/hour of orders placed.

  45. Jim says

    Awesome coin, I hope they offer a 3 coin set. I am in for 4 of them. One for me and one each for my three boys.

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